1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to mulch strips, and more particularly pertains to a new and improved mulch strip with facilities for retaining rain water and warming the ground beneath the strip. Conventionally, various types of plastic mulch sheeting is utilized to prevent weeds from growing amongst cultivated plants. The cultivated plants are planted in the ground through holes spaced along the plastic mulch strip. The mulch strip retains moisture in the ground and prevents evaporation as Well as providing weed control. Such plastic mulch strips have been found especially useful when growing food crops such as strawberries, because the mulch strip prevents the berries from contacting the surface of the ground and becoming subject to mold. While these conventional forms of mulch strips have many advantages, rain water which falls on the surface of the mulch strip is not retained on the strip for the benefit of the cultivated plants. Additionally, the conventional forms of mulch strips do not provide suitable means for retaining the mulch strip on the ground in the desired location. In order to overcome these disadvantages, and to provide a ground mulch strip with heat retaining capabilities, the present invention provides a new and improved mulch strip.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various types of mulch strips are known in the prior art. A typical example of such a mulch strip is to be found in U.S. Pat. No. 2,015,471, which issued to J. Genuit on Sept. 24, 1935. This patent discloses a plant protection strip formed from a spiral wound roll of paper having elongated reinforcing strips. In use, the plant protection strip is supported on stakes inserted in the ground, thus forming an awning for sheltering a row of cultivated plants. U.S. Pat. No. 2,058,934, which issued to L. Yohe on October 27, 1936, discloses a plant receptacle which utilizes a screen or cheese cloth netting to shelter plants. U.S. Pat. No. 2,974,442, which issued to L. Womelsdorf on March 14, 1961, discloses a woven shade cloth for the protection of cultivated plants. The shade cloth is adapted to be suspended on a framework above the plants. U.S. Pat. No. 3,154,885, which issued to R. Waterman et al on November 3, 1964, discloses a shade cloth formed from a weather fleck held together by an elastomeric binder and treated with an air purifying agent. The shade cloth is utilized to provide protection to tobacco plants. U.S. Pat. No. 4,023,506, which issued to M. Robey on May 17, 1977, discloses a netting material through which natural grass is grown on the surface of an athletic playing field. The netting serves to provide enhanced durability to the grass playing field. U.S. Pat. No. 4,044,501, which issued to J. Frydryk on August 30, 1977, discloses a mulch strip with folded over side edges for preventing tearing of the mulch strip. A plurality of spaced apertures are provided along the reinforced edges of the strip for the reception of pegs utilized in securing the strip to a desired location on the surface of the ground.
While the above mentioned devices are suited for their intended usage, none of these devices provide a mulch strip with parallel fluid reservoir tubes extending along opposite side edges of a plastic base sheet. Additionally, none of the aforesaid prior art devices utilize a mulch strip with fluid reservoir tubes having male and female hose connections for connecting a plurality of the mulch strips together in end to end relation. Inasmuch as the art is relatively crowded with respect to these various types of mulch strips, it can be appreciated that there is a continuing need for and interest in improvements to such mulch strips, and in this respect, the present invention addresses this need and interest.